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A11615 Calderwoods recantation: or, A tripartite discourse Directed to such of the ministerie, and others in Scotland, that refuse conformitie to the ordinances of the church. Wherein the causes and bad effects of such separation, the legall proceedings against the refractarie, and nullitie of their cause, are softly launced, and they louingly inuited to the vniformitie of the church. Scot, Patrick. 1622 (1622) STC 21857; ESTC S103208 18,004 58

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CALDER WOODS RECANTATION OR A Tripartite Discourse DIRECTED TO SVCH OF the Ministerie and others in Scotland that refuse Conformitie to the Ordinances of the Church Wherein the Causes and bad Effects of such Separation the Legall Proceedings against the Refractarie and Nullitie of their Cause are softly launced and they louingly inuited to the vniformitie of the CHVRCH Epist Iam. cap. 3. Vbi Zelus Contentio ibi Inconstantia omne opus pranum LONDON Printed by Bernard Alsop dwelling in Distaffe Lane at the Signe of the Dolphin 1622. TO THE IMPARTIALL READER I Am not ignorant impartiall Reader that to perswade or contend for Redresse without Authority little preuailes and oft times exposeth such Motions to Contempt or Malice yet the loue I owe to the Peace of the Church enforceth me to sollicite Conformitie in a matter of great consequence If any challenge my insufficiencie or interest let them know that I much more estimate the weake endeuours of good meaning then the more learned shewes of Pharisaical Ostentation That I am as well lyable to giue account of my Talent as the Arch Pillars of most profound Learning and that armed with these Reasons I care not what the most Censorious Criticke or Thraso-like Braggadochio can degorge against me One fauor I craue That thou wilt not curiously enquire what I haue beene or pry into my former Errors for which I humbly begge pardon from the Mercy-Master in Heauen and from his Vice-gerent my dread Soueraigne vpon Earth but consider with iudgement what now I am and how affected to the Truth I haue in this ensuing home-spun Discourse freely expressed my selfe touching the Controuersies which haue long troubled the Church of Scotland In it I neyther wrong the dead cast contempt vpon the liuing neyther leuell I at any mans person further then in the inquirie of Truth may conduce to the aduancement thereof and publike good In this pursuit I haue left all extrauagant Wanders and balk'd all circulating Complements too common both to Wits and Writs in this Age and haue runne poste in the high way wherein if I haue stumbled I expect lesse harme or more pitty What I haue written is without Art or Insinuation perhaps it may proue the lesse gracefull yet I hope it shall finde correspondence in the mindes of those that are not imbarked in partialitie and loues the whole better then a part Farewell Amsterdam this 29. of Nouemb. 1622. CALDER WOODS RECANTATION Or A TRIPARTITE DISCOVRSE IT is fore-told of Christ That in the latter dayes it should be said Loe there loe here is Christ which by the Learned is vnderstood not as if the Person of Christ should be assumed and counterfeited but his Authoritie and Preheminence which is to be Truth it selfe that is to bee challenged Ecce in deserto ecce in penetralibus Some haue sought the Truth in the Conuenticles and Conciliables of Heretikes and Sectaries some in the externall forme and representation of the Church some one way some another but the true Badge of the Church and finding of Christ is in Vnity Peace and Brotherly Loue. Whosoeuer then by contentious controuersies in matters indifferent vnswaddle the Church of her Bonds of Peace are in the right way of diuiding the Vnitie of Spirit to open a Gap to all disorder and scandall that thereby the weake may be brought to an incertaintie of Religion the peruerse reiect it or that the Enemies of the Church may make Musicke by their disorder For this cause I am in good hope that whatsoeuer shall bee spoken sincerely and modestly for appeasing the Relikes of such controuersies as disturbe our Church of Great Britaine but more specially of Scotland will be taken in good part and be displeasant to none If any bee offended at this voyce Vos estis fratres you are Brethren why striue you Hee shall giue a great presumption against himselfe that hee is the party that doth his Brother wrong I will not enter into the controuersies themselues they are so fore-stalled and determined by many more Learned Pennes that whatsoeuer I might say might seeme borrowed or of lesse weight All men know and confesse they are none of the high Mysteries of Faith which detayned the Church many yeeres after her first Peace neyther doe they concerne that great part of the worship of God of which it is true Non seruatur vnitas in credendo nisi eadem sit in colendo but wee contend about Ceremonies Policie and things indifferent Let the offending side aggrauate their Grieuances as they please yet are they but Ceremonies for which they haue so long contended and wherein no Holinesse is put other then Order Decencie Conueniencie neyther are these Ceremonies so much stood vpon as due obedience to Superior Powers If God tryed Adam with an Apple it is enough the sinne is not valued but the prohibition Shimei was slaine for going out of the Citie the Act was little but the Bond was great I will then first take a sincere view and consideration of the accidents and circumstances of Church-controuersies at least such as concerne our selues to looke vnto amongst which I finde that the imperfections in the conuersation of those who had the chiefe place in the Church and their mis-gouernment hath euer beene the prime cause of Schismes and Diuisions For whilest the Gouernours of the Church continue full of Knowledge and Good Workes according to their Dignitie and the precious care of Soules imposed vpon them so long the Church is situated as it were vpon a Hill no man maketh question of it or seeketh to depart from it But when these Fathers and Leaders lose their Light and that they waxe worldly louers of themselues or pleasers of men then doe men begin to grope for the Church as in the darke they are in doubt whether they be the Successors of the Apostles or Pharisies Howsoeuer they sit in Moses Chayre yet they neuer speake tanquam authoritatem habentes because they haue lost their reputation in the Consciences of men by declining their steppes from the way they trace out to others so that nolite exire had neede continually to bee beaten in the eares of men so ready are they euery way to depart from the Church For it is the pollicy of the spirituall Enemy eyther by counterfeit holinesse of Life to establish and authorize Error or by the corruption of Manners draw in question Truth and lawfull things This concerneth certainely the Bishops to looke vnto to whom I am witnesse vnto my selfe that I stand affected as I ought No contradiction hath supplanted in me the reuerence I owe to their Calling neyther hath any detraction or calumnie imbeaseled my opinion of their Persons I know some of them who are most pierced with these accusations to bee men of great vertue and for the rest I can condemne none I know it is truely sayd of Fame Pariter facta atque non facta canit their taxations come not all from one
diuerse Heads and Diuisions that Decencie and Order might be preserued and Confusion shunned This superioritie of Priesthood continued till the new Couenant of Grace in all which time if equalitie of Priests had beene conducible to the Weale of the Church without doubt the Lord of the Church would haue established it Secondly after this Ceremoniall Law our Sauiour Christ ruled his Church as chiefe Bishop of our Soules hee adioyned no Elders to himselfe at his death hee gaue command to his Disciples to rule the Churches where they should gouerne throughout the World Wee reade that they did excommunicate alone that they did ordaine Ministers alone and did by supreme Authority rule both the Affaires and Goods of the Church Beza confesseth that Peter alone strucke Ananias and Saphira that Paul ordayned Timothie and Titus that hee prescribed Lawes to them and their Churches this plat-forme of Paritie was not so much as heard of in the time of Persecution Saint Paul did write to the Bishops of Ephesus and Smyrna and to seuerall Bishops of other Churches to them hee giueth Directions and them hee reprooueth which had beene very vnfitting if his Authority had not beene aboue other Ministers All Records witnesse that seuerall Bishops succeeded the Apostles at Rome Constantinople Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria and other places All the Councells giue preheminence to Bishops and to the Councells the Fathers consent To come to later times they whom you magnifie aboue all others did protest by their Writings That if Bishops would leaue Superstition and embrace the true Religion they would most willingly submit themselues to their Episcopall Iurisdiction as most godly and expedient for the Church Melancthon did testifie much to this purpose saying That if the Authoritie of Bishops were reiected a greater Tyrannie would follow Zancheus greatly extolled Bishops Bullinger Glocer and diuerse other Learned Protestants in Swethland and Germanie with Camerarius and Sturmius did the like Beza himselfe complayneth That his wordes against Roman Bishops were wrested against our Bishops But suppose that Beza Daneus Carpenter Golart Perot Tauergues Polan Snecan and the like haue written all which you would haue maintayned or doe yet hold shall the Church of Great Brittaine allow what they haue written for Oracles No there is no reason they should For who would not bee ashamed to oppose those and their followers to the practice of the Primitiue Church of Iesus Christ his Apostles Fathers Councells Canons to all Writings of Antiquity and to the most part of our owne Times All these by Practice or Decrees haue annulled Paritie and consequently all kinde of Gouernment grounded vpon it All Legall Courses haue censured against you the Parliaments the most Honourable Courts in the I le of Great Brittaine or else-where haue declared against you the Church Assemblyes wherein as Members you had Voyces haue found the nullitie of your cause and all these ioyning in one haue enioyned you to obedience and conformitie There resteth nothing on your side but exclayming bragging and libelling which will neuer be otherwayes censured by the Wise then the fumosities of idle Dreame-venting Braynes who assuming to themselues an vncontrouled Liberty leaues all Lawes without defence and exposeth Magistracie to Obloquie at their pleasure But as all Legists and Schoole-men determine priuate much lesse publike Lawes are neyther grossely to bee ieasted at carelesly disgraced or fondly to bee dealt withall Consider warily of this Point least Iustice correct such by Roddes as will not bee ruled by Reason So I come to the Third Part of my Taske and then to an end THE THIRD PART I Haue shortly leuelled at if not hit the most materiall Accidents and Circumstances of the Controuersies which long haue troubled the Peace of our Church of Scotland with their bad Effects and how contrary your opposition is to the best Institutions of former times Now after I haue runne poste through the Fauours of your gracious Soueraigne I will vnfold my sincere Wishes and so close vp all His Maiesties prouident care fore-seeing that your violent Platformes would in the end procure the ouerthrow of your cause did so long giue way to your inconsiderate proceedings till without greater inconuenience to the Church and State hee could not forbeare to represse them in which course I pray you consider with mee what Legall course hath his Maiesty taken what Lenitie hath hee vsed what mollifying Balmes of louing Admonition hath hee applyed to so long festred Sores Hee hath called many Generall and Prouinciall Assemblyes for settling or remoouing many needlesse Controuersies amongst you Hee hath in Royall Person beene present with you perswaded you by many Learned Orations graue Exhortations and Princely Admonitions Hee hath oft times confuted your vngrounded Assertions with Reason when hee might haue repressed them by his Royall Authority What vnseemely misdemeanour wee haue seene in the presence of such a King my Penne without blushing is not able to expresse Yet these hath his more then Humane Clemencie ouerpast and by the Load-stone of infallible Demonstrations and inuincible Arguments hath drawne the most Iudicious and Learned amongst you to assent to the Truth and leaue such factious courses Witnesse hereof were Learned Master Rollocke Master Nicholson and Master Cooper whose Workes will pleade their cause The first of these vpon his Death-bed did expostulate with his dearest Friends how much your hard censure of his honest Labours in the Affaires of the Church had shortened his dayes The last two after they were preferred to the place of Bishops and euer before had painefully laboured in the Lords Haruest were so detracted by your vniust Calumnies and profited so little in their sincere Intentions that very Griefe in the Autumne of their age did consummate their dayes But yet if I should insist vpon his Maiesties Clemencie towards you I should exceede my limitted Taske Hee hath spared the Liues of such of you as were guilty of High Treason hee hath vpon submission recalled such as were banished and eyther restored them to their owne or better Places Finally hee hath left nothing vndone that may make his Kingly Wisedome admired his Mercie aduaunced and you in case of further Contumacie vncapable of the like Royall Fauour hereafter I speake not this to aggrauate your Faults neyther fawningly to insinuate vpon Maiestie but least any of you should surmise that you haue beene wronged that the Lawes haue beene rigorously extended against you or that his Maiesties proceedings hath beene iniurious towards you But as I am in good hope of you so my earnest Wishes are that my friendly counsaile may seize on your future actions You know or may know that hitherto you haue onely procured a fruitlesse Reformation and in the end without doubt you will bee the cause of greater Euils if by more wholesome aduice you obuiate not the Dangers to which your inconsiderate Zeale hath subiected you the Axe of Iustice threateneth the Roote of the fruitlesse Tree of your disobedience and eminent
Coast they haue many different Enemyes some ready to slander them some more ready to amplifie such scandall and some most ready to beleeue it Magnes mendacij credulitas Credulitie is the Load-stone of Lyes and Enuie will creepe where it dare not goe But if any haue lost their first Loue if any be neyther hot nor cold if any haue stumbled at the Threshold in such sort that they cannot sit well that entred ill it is time they returne whence they are fallen and confirme the things that remayne Great is the weight of their fault eorum causa abhorrebant a Sacrificio Domini It is the weakenesse of humane frailtie rather to take poysonable Receits out of Gold-glistering Boxes then wholesome Medicines from course cleanely Vessels of Clay But it were better wee had Elias Hunger or Samsons Thirst in taking our Meat from a Rauen or our Drinke from the Iaw-bone of an Asse rather then to deface them or cast contempt vpon their Calling The holy Angell would giue no sentence of Blasphemie against the common Slanderer but increpet te Dominus It is noted in the Ecclesiasticall Historie That the ancient Synods when they depriued any Bishops neuer recorded the Offence but buried it in perpetuall silence C ham purchased his Fathers Curse for reuealing his Fathers disgrace Many good Fathers spoke seuerely against the vnworthinesse of Bishops One sayth Sacerdotes nominamur non sumus another sayth Nisi bonum opus amplectaris Episcopus esse non potes but these nor no other euer did put doubt of the lawfulnesse of the Calling and Ordination of Bishops The second cause of Controuersies is in multiplying of them by men whom the Church neuer wanteth and who loues the salutation of RABBI not so much in Ceremonie and Complement as in inward Authoritie which they seeke ouer mens Mindes in drawing them to depend vpon their Opinion and to seeke Knowledge at their Lippes These are the true Successors of Diotrephes Louers of Preheminence and doe delight vpon another sort of Spirits which doe adhere to them Quorumque gloria in obsequio stiffe Fellowes who in zeale follow mightily after those vpon whose Oracles they depend and are for the most part men of young Yeeres or superficiall Vnderstanding or both and carryed away with enticing apparencie of Singularitie Goodly Names and Pretences Pauci res ipsas sequuntur plures nomina rerum plurimi Magistrorum the matter controuerted is least thought vpon Yet about these Controuersies are wreathed and interlaced such accidentall or priuate Emulations and Discontentments as ioyned together breake foorth into such contention as violates eyther Truth Sobrietie or Peace Some will be no longer ex numero others side themselues before they know the right hand from the left Transeunt ab ignorantia ad preiudicium they leape from Ignorance to a preiudicate Opinion and neuer take sound Iudgement in their way so that inter iuuenile consilium senile preiudicium omnis veritas corrumpitur when such are indifferent and not partiall then is their Iudgement weake and vnripe through want of yeeres and when it groweth to strength it is so forestalled by preiudicat opinions that it is made vnprofitable Betweene these two the Truth is encroached vpon Supreme Powers contemned and the Honorable Names of Puritie Reformation and Discipline are trampled vpon and made the subiects of contention The third occasion as I obserue of our Controuersies is an extreme vnkind detestation of some former Heresie or Corruption already acknowledged or conuicted Vpon this Root haue most of the Heresies and Schismes of the Church sprung whilest men haue grounded their Zeale and measured the bonds of most perfect Religion by the furthest distance from the Errors last condemned but these be Posthumi Haeresium filij Heresies or Schismes that arise from the ashes of such as are already extinct Some thinke it the true Load-stone to try which Doctrine is good and sound by measuring which is more or lesse opposite to the Church of Rome be it Ceremonie Pollicy or Matter of Gouernment yea if it be matter of greater moment that is euer most perfect which is remooued most degrees from that Church and that euer polluted or blemished that participateth in any apparencie with it But is it reason I pray you because wee differ from the Roman Church in the adoration of the Elements and substance of the Eucharist shall wee also abandon the reuerent modest comely and commendable receiuing thereof vpon our knees No wee must keepe the good and reiect the bad It is a consideration of much greater wisdome and sobriety to bee well aduised Whether in the generall demolition of the Church of Rome in Scotland all mens actions being imperfect some good was not purged with the bad The Husbandman doth not disclayme his heape of Corne because it is mixed with Chaffe neyther doth the Fisherman refuse his Draught of Fish because there is some Weeds in the Net or doth God separate himselfe from the faithfull Soule because it is polluted with humane corruptions It was the ancient custome of the Fathers saith Augustine to approue rather then reiect the good things which they did find in the very Heresies and Schismes The fourth cause of our Controuersies I take to be the partiall affectation and imitation of Geneua and forraine Churches a matter which in former times hath much troubled the Church for many of our Ministers in the time of their Persecution as they call it or rather Prodigals flight hauing been conuersant with the Churches abroad and receiued a great impression of the Gouernment there maintained violently seeke to intrude the like into our Churches But conueniamus in eo quod conuenit non in eo quod receptum est alibi let vs not apishly imitate euery new coyned Custome Non quod optimum sed e bonis quod proximum est eligendum of good things not that which is best but sometimes that which is readiest is to be chosen I wish wee might striue with other Churches as the Vine with the Oliue which of vs beareth best Fruit not with the Thistle and Brier which of vs is most vnprofitable Our Church in the I le of Great Britaine praysed be God is not to plaint it is established and setled in the fulnesse of Peace in the sinceritie of Doctrine and in the Wisedome of Policie and Discipline The Word is truely preached by many godly learned and famous Pastors the Policie Discipline established by the Ciuill Magistrat in former times in most parts of this I le now confirmed by a Religious and Learned King who from his Cradle hath laboured to see the Church flourish in vnitie and peace Shall then the affected paritie of a few transported with wrong ends disturbe this Peace God forbid Or shall the Gouernment of the Church bee committed to the confused Synods Presbyteriall Meetings and Parochiall Sessions of those whose Voyces are numbred not weighed Talia consilia non minuunt malum
sed augent potius The fift cause of our continued fierie Contentions is the passionate and vnbrotherly practices against the persons of others for their discredit and suppression First the Seperatist goeth about to condemne the Gouernment of Bishops as an Hierarchie remaining to vs of the corruption of the Roman Church and then not finding footing in so sinking a ground he desireth reformation of certaine Ceremonies which hee supposeth to be superstitious as Kneeling at the receiuing of the Sacrament Church-Liturgie Musike the wearing of Surplus and the like Lastly they dreame vnto themselues an onely and perpetuall Gouernment of the Church which without consideration possibilitie or foresight of perill must be erected and planted by the Magistrate and heere some stay Others goe further on in following Knox his damnable Doctrine and say the same Gouernment must bee reared vp maintained and accepted by the people at the perill of their saluation without attending the aduancement thereof by other Supreme Authoritie then their owne and from this Source floweth the inordinate zeale of some ignorant phantasticall or singular and vnquiet Spirits amongst the Gentry and Citizens who in singular humors for popular applause with Simon will be baptized with companie But I wish such remember that in seeking Truth in Disobedience without Peace at once they lose Truth Loue Peace their Adherents and themselues Such coales of Zeale are like the Alchymists Elixar about which much is spent more talked and it neuer brought to passe Let the Quintessence of your Wits be extracted all your Obseruations capitulate all your Experiments abstracted and all your Arguments vnited all will end with great losse and vanish in smoake You shall but by seeking such Reformation and bringing of Impossibilities into the Church for matters triuiall hazard the ouerthrow of those of greater weight and of peace for euer But perhaps you will say that the Bishops maintayne as well Abuses as good Ordinances and that your reasonable Demands are Vilipendit or not answered but I answere as they haue formerly done to the like immodest Challenge That as there is no Element which is not through many commixtions depraued from the first simplicitie so no Church euer breathed in so pure an Ayre as it might not complayne of some thicke and vnwholesome euaporations of Error or Sinne. If you challenge Immunitie it is rather presumption then true wisedome If too many sinnes of practice hath thickned the Ayre of our Church yet hath not one Heresie infected it There is no Calues in our Dan and Bethel none of Ieroboams Idolatrye They confesse that there bee many Imperfections in the Church as Tares amongst the Corne which according to the Wisedome taught by our Sauiour are not with strife to be pulled vp but to grow together till the Haruest They grow not to an absolute defence of all the Orders of the Church or of the abuse of good Institutions neyther doe they stiffely hold that nothing is to bee innouated as if it would make a breach vpon the rest They know that Leges nouis legibus non recreatae acceseunt Lawes not refreshed with new Lawes waxe sowre They are not ignorant that taking away of Abuses supplanteth not good Orders but confirmeth them and that a contentious retayning of a Custome is as turbulent a thing as Innouation Therefore as good Husbandmen they are euer pruning and stirring in their Vineyard or Field not vnskilfully or vnseasonably yet haue they euer somewhat to doe But in the ordering of these things confused Paritie is not Iudge Priuate Profession is one thing and publike Reformation another euery man must doe that in the mayne none this but such of whom God sayth I haue sayd you are Gods Quis sum is the question of a good man but Quis es of an enuious Eye that can see others and not it selfe Looke to your owne charge in feeding Gods People committed to you and following your ordinary Callings Doe not like bad Husbands gadde abroad to other mens Houses neyther bee busie Bishops in other mens Diocesses Set not your Teeth on edge with the sowre Grapes of others If the Rulers of the Church cast not out Abuses and vnworthy Ordinances the sinne is theirs if a man vnworthy enter the sinne is his But if you will not enter because such a one is entred the sinne is yours You shall not answere for other mens Faults but for your owne Neglects other mens sinnes cannot dispence with your dutie There is a concinnitie of Members and sympathie of Affections in Gods House The Head must not despise the Hands or other inferior Members neither these Members enuy the Head you are to obey Presume not then vpon your owne Worth or contend by Malice to ouer-rule neither vpon your priuat Authoritie obtrude to the Church such Gouernment which neuer had beeing but in idle Speculation Beleeue mee Brethren too much Presumption gnaweth the Bones of the Spirit euen to the Marrow of Ignorance and when Malice and Enuy are coupled with Presumption and Ignorance and are kindled against the Modestie of the Vertuous the flame by reflection burneth those that kindle it and lighteth those that are detracted till they attaine to the path and possession of Honor. To this former complaint you adde that you are charged as if you did deny Tribute vnto Caesar and withdraw from the Ciuill Magistrate the Obedience which is due which you haue euer performed and taught I wish from my heart you could cleare your selues of these too true suggestions But the amplification of this Point falleth to bee in the second part of this Discourse to which I leaue it You say further That Inquisitions and Examinations haue beene too strictly vrged against you That the Bishops are too sudden in silencing such numbers of you That they ought to keepe one Eye open at the Good which you doe and not to looke with both Eyes vpon the Euill which they suppose you doe where now euery inconsiderate Word or light Escape is a Forfeiter of your Voyce and Gift of Teaching These bee the causelesse Complaints vniustly conceiued against your Mother the Church and supreme Authoritie who haue neuer ceased by Motherly loue and Royall fauours to reclayme you But since fayre meanes cannot preuayle and that your Offences are greater then your seruice Iustice may change the Bonds of Recompence into due punishment The Warrants of all former times hath allowed greater seueritie then euer hath beene inflicted vpon you Wise Generals punish mutinous persons more seuerely then Robbers or Adulterers Corah and his company were more fearefully plagued then the Idolatrous Israelites Who cannot rather suffer a lewd Seruant then an vndutifull Sonne though hee pretend a fayre colour for his Disobedience When Nature offendeth Law there Law may be iustly executed on Nature You accuse iustly Apostasie and Seperation in others and shall the Church suffer the least Seisure in you But if you hated your Sinnes more and Peace lesse Prelacie would trouble you